Syndrome
by BubbleFairy03
Summary: Twitch Plays Pokemon verse. Free from the noise, from the voices, Red embarks on a journey to become the silent figure atop Mt. Silver we all know. Oneshot.


**PLEASE READ:** I started this the same day the original TPP ended, and I got at least halfway through before TPP-Crystal began (then I got busy and forgot about it for a bit, but that's a separate story). As such, this fic exists under the assumption that the original TPP is the only TPP. I thought it would interesting to see how our Red transformed into the Red we meet at the end of S/G/C. Enjoy.

* * *

 _Right._

That was the last command he heard. His body wouldn't follow it though. A rare event, for sure, but certainly not a new one. _They_ had lost control to people on the outside before.

This time they lost it to Oak.

Red's feet moved on their own, trailing after the professor. They stopped at a PC. Red tried to move back, he didn't like PCs, but his body remained rooted to the spot. He wasn't surprised. The attempt to move had been more of an instinct, brought on by fear, than an actual expectation of movement.

 _We did it guys._

The orders had stopped, but the voices were still there, humming beneath the professor's words.

"Congratulations Red! This floor is the Pokemon Hall of Fame..."

 _Oh Lord Helix, your sacrifice has saved us!_

 _Praise Helix, we did it!_

 _All hail the Helix Fossil, Bird Jesus, and the Dragonslayer!_

Oak had finished speaking. Red had missed most of what he said, but then, he usually missed what people said.

Maybe that was why _they_ usually made him talk to people several times. Since _they_ came, his world had skewed. People didn't move much anymore. They regurgitated the same words, over and over and over...

The PC was showing images of his Pokemon. The ones he had left.

The voices were growing quieter.

 _Lord Helix didn't let us down!_

 _I love you guys._

 _Lord Helix!_

 _Lawd Helix!_

 _Praise Helix!_

 _Now what?_

That was the last thing he could make out before the voices faded to a dull, indistinguishable buzz. The PC was dark now. Oak said something (What was it? He hadn't been paying attention; he wasn't used to having to pay attention) and started walking out of the room. Red waited to follow.

Nothing happened.

He waited about half a minute, taking in long, deep breaths and gazing around the room.

Were they going to make him stand there forever? Was this the end? This room, with the big PC?

His hands were shaking when he tried to take the first step. He almost cried when he succeeded.

He _moved_. He was controlling his own body. How long had it been?

He took another step, then another, and another, until he was sprinting toward the exit. He put his arms out (It worked! His arms were working!) and burst through the doors, coming to a halt once he was on the other side.

The voices had stopped completely.

Standing before him was Blue. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Blue's lips pulled up into his trademark, snarky smirk. Red tried to smile back, but he found he couldn't remember how. Afraid he would get it wrong, he let his face stay slack.

"So," Blue said, his smirk faltering a little under Red's unrelenting gaze, "how does it feel to be the champion?"

Champion? That's right. He was the champion. Pokemon master of the world. Or Kanto, at least. That was always his dream, wasn't it? To be the best?

He had so much to say. He wanted to tell Blue everything he was feeling. Scared, relieved, angry, nervous, anxious, free, weightless, heavy, good, lousy, frightened... scared... anxious... frightened...

What if _they_ came back?

"Quiet," he said, averting his eyes away from Blue. It was the most accurate description. Being the champion was finally, blissfully, quiet. He liked it. He loved it. He cherished it.

"Quiet?" Blue echoed, raising an eyebrow. He regarded Red silently for a moment before scoffing. "You've always been an oddball, Red. Well, congrats, anyway. Enjoy your 'quiet' while it lasts, cause I'll be back to reclaim my title soon enough! Smell ya later, loser!"

Red listened to the sound of his own breath thundering in his ears as Blue walked away. Enjoy your quiet while it lasts.

While it lasts...

He started suddenly, looking around frantically, as if he were expecting his surrounding to change, then ran full force out of the building. People were yelling around him, congratulating him, asking him to wait, but he ignored them all. Once outside he kept running, running, running...running until he was knee deep in grass, only vaguely away of his surroundings. He dropped to his knees and threw his backpack to the ground.

He was panting as, one by one, he picked his pokeballs off his belt and lay them on the ground.

Quiet. Quiet. He needed to save the quiet. He couldn't let _them_ come back. He quickly scanned the tiny orbs, gaze holding on the one he knew to hold his Omastar.

 _Their_ Omastar.

Helix.

Gently, he picked up the ball. He depressed his thumb over the small button at its center and, immediately, it doubled in size.

It crossed his mind that he'd never opened a pokeball before. Not on his own.

As a child, he'd fantasied about throwing pokeballs. He would throw rocks and make believe that pokemon came out of them, ready to battle.

Now that he actually had the chance, he found himself merely pressing his thumb down again, pushing the button. In an instant his Omastar was lying in front of him, still unconscious from battle.

He stared at that Omastar for a long time. At some point he licked his lips and duly noted that they were badly chapped. In the same instant he realized that he was thirsty, as well as hungry.

He needed to kill Omastar. He needed to kill Helix. Helix could bring _them_ back.

Slowly, he stood up and surveyed the area. His eyes landed on a rock. It wasn't one of the large, round boulders he'd seen on his travels. Those rocks had been so perfect, so identical to one another and unnatural, that part of him thought they must have been a hallucination.

This rock was real though. It was large, but still small enough for him to hold, if he used both hands. He picked it up and brought it back to his Omastar. Once again he found himself kneeling on the ground.

He should have just left it in the pokeball. Crushing that would probably be easier. He eyed his other pokeballs, lying innocently in the grass. He could always put him back inside. If he wanted to.

He held the rock over his head.

He wanted to explain himself. He wanted Omastar to know that he didn't _hate_ him, it was just...he had to look after himself, right? This was the only way.

His arms trembled slightly. When he felt a small drop of liquid tickling down his cheek he let out a strangled sob and smashed the rock downwards. He ignored the cries of his now awakened pokemon as he repeated the action, blood splashing onto his face, mixing with his tears.

He stayed there for 15 minutes, openly sobbing as he destroyed Helix.

Again.

Again!

Again!

His strength finally gave out and he dropped the rock, panting as he stared at the pile of flesh and broken shell before him.

Now what, the last voice had asked.

Now what?

It briefly crossed his mind that he had an empty spot in his party now.

"Abby," he whispered, his voice hoarse. He had an empty spot now. He needed to find Abby.

Legs shaking, he slowly stood up, gathering up his pokeballs and attaching them to his belt. He stopped at the last one, examining it curiously. His Pidgeot. _Their_ Bird Jesus.

Bird Jesus was a problem too. Anarchy, they said. With his free hand, he groped around his belt until he found AA-J's spot. He removed it again, holding the two balls side by side.

Bird Jesus. The Archangel. Anti-Jesus. Whatever they called them, they were both problems. Prophets of Helix, they said.

Pidgeot had been with him for such a long time though. He helped keep him alive. Wasn't he as much his friend as Abby was?

Anarchy though. Democracy. They were related. Pidgeot was too.

Abby was different. She had been trapped by _them_ , just like he was. The only difference was that Abby escaped.

He considered feeling abandoned, but quickly gave the thought up. Abby would have helped him if she could have. Jay Leno too. _They_ were just too powerful.

He dropped the balls on the ground, watching them lightly bounce on the grass with a stony expression. AA-J was still conscious. He'd have to stay in the ball. And Pidgeot...well...it would be easier this way...

He picked up the rock.

* * *

Red remembered civilization enough to know he was too messy for town. His first goal was to find water: a lake or a river...the ocean. Anything that would allow him to rinse off, really.

He never had a good sense of his surroundings when _they_ were in charge, so he really had no clue where he was. He wanted to go back to Pallet. He also never wanted to see Pallet again. He wanted his mom.

He wanted Abby.

He managed to find a large lake by nightfall, and he set up camp. It crossed his mind that he could sleep there. Sleep, for the first time in...how long? He didn't even know. It sounded exciting though, sleeping again. It didn't feel exciting, but it definitely sounded it.

He slept with King Fonz's pokeball in his hand, finding some small comfort in his presence. In his ability to protect him.

He slept all night, awakening at dawn to a rustling sound. He sat up slowly, feeling unthreatened by the noise. The worst that could happen was death. That didn't sound so bad.

It ended up being a trainer. A boy around his own age. Maybe a year older. It was hard to tell. He looked happy, in any case.

"Oh, hey!" He cried, stumbling out of the brush toward Red. Red watched him approach, unmoving. "Boy am I glad I found you! A wild Rattata stole my map. Those things can be little devils, can't they?" he asked, plopping down on the grass next to Red.

Red thought of Jay Leno and his Raticate, the one _they_ called DigRat (or was it BigDig?).

"No," he answered, either ignoring or not noticing the rhetorical nature of the question. The boy smiled uneasily.

"Yeah, well...anyway, I've been wandering around almost all night! I'm trying to find Indigo Plateau," he smiled bashfully, "I'm not good enough to try my hand at the league, but I want to see it anyway. I'm on my way to Viridian and I figured, why not? It's on the way, more or less, and rumor has it a new champion was just named. Know how to get there?"

Red wondered if the rumored champion was himself or Blue. The longer it took people to hear of his success, the easier of a time he'd probably have.

"Yes," Red said. His voice tasted sour in his mouth. He found talking this much was proving to be uncomfortable. Like sitting on a chair that had a small rock on the seat.

The boy's face lit up. "Really? Oh, great! Say, you wouldn't mind showing me the way, right? Or at least setting me on the right track? I'll make breakfast for you as thanks, I have plenty of food with me."

Before Red could agree (or refuse), the boy was pulling out a pokeball and tossing it into the air.

"Come on out, Charlemagne!"

Red's posture straightened as a Charmeleon materialized before him. For a few moments, he stopped breathing.

The boy didn't seem to notice. "This is Charlemagne! He was my first pokemon," he said, patting the creature on the head, "Oh! My name is Joe, by the way," he said, holding out his hand.

It was a mental effort, but eventually Red put King Fonz's pokeball back onto his belt, grasped Joe's hand, and shook it. Joe smiled expectantly.

"Red," he said, after a lengthy silence, "I'm...Red."

"Nice to meet'cha, Red! Charlemagne, wanna help Red and I find some wood? I need you to make us a fire so we can make breakfast," he said, looking down at his companion.

"Chaaaar," it answered, nodding its consent.

Red slowly rose after Joe, trailing a few steps behind as he followed him into the brush.

"There's lots of trees around, so I'm sure finding some decent sticks and stuff will be easy enough. We don't need a lot, I don't think."

Red's heartbeat was hammering in his ears. Abby. Abby was there. Here. With him.

She needed saving.

Red followed along behind Joe, watching him pick up sticks, discarding some for various reasons. He babbled on, seemingly unaware that Red wasn't helping. Beside him, Charlemagne was carrying a few sticks as well.

"I don't actually live in Johto, I'm just saying I'm close, you know? Like on the border. It's a really small town. Anyway, I live with my parents, and my sister, Susie, she's eight. She's a nice kid, cute and stuff, but booooy is she annoying. Do you have any siblings? Where are you from, by the way? The city? Man, I bet that would be cool, all those tall buildings and stuff. And convenient! When we want stuff, it takes foreeeever for anything to arrive. At least the stuff too heavy for a Pidgey to carry."

Red dropped his gaze from Joe to Charlemagne. His hands felt cold.

"Be quiet," he whispered.

"In the city though, I bet you can get whatever you want. You probably meet all sorts of interesting people too, all the time! I'm on my way to Viridian to visit my other sister, Linda. She married a fella from Viridian, andnowshelivestherewithhim. Momthinksshe'stooyoungtobemarriedbutIenvyher. Viridiansoundslikeagreatplacetolive. Ibettheyhavearcadesandyoucouldgo _updownrightupupleftstartdownanarchyabababupstartatvdragonslayerhelix..."_

"Be quiet," Red said more loudly, his breathing becoming unsteady.

" _...helixhelixhelixhelixhelixhelixhelixhelix..."_

"Shut up!" Red roared.

"I hear they-hm? What's wrong?" Joe asked, pausing. He looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Red's fist before it hit his face.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Red cried as he threw the boy down and climbed on top of him. Straddling his hips, he grabbed the neck of his shirt and roughly jerked it up and down, causing Joe's head to repeatedly slam into the ground.

Beside them, Charlemagne issued a cry and ran forward. Having enough sense not to use a fire attack and risk burning his trainer, he scratched Red's arm and then headbutted him in the side, knocking the wind out of him. Red rolled off of Joe, coughing as he clutched his side.

"No, Abby. The noise. I just want...I'm doing this for you."

"Char! Meleon!"

Red's mind was reeling. Something was wrong with Abby. He'd never get her away from this monster, at this rate. He fumbled with his belt for a moment before grabbing King Fonz's pokeball. His hands were shaking so badly that he almost dropped it, but he managed to throw the ball in Charlemagne's direction. He didn't consider that it was his first time actually throwing a real pokeball.

King Fonz looked woozy, having never been healed from the battles at Indigo Plateau, but he seemed to know what Red desired without communication. Using Strength, he slammed into Charlemagne, sending the much lower leveled pokemon flying into a tree, where he fainted.

"Charlemagne..." Joe whispered, trying to sit up. There was blood dribbling from his chin.

With Charlemagne safely out of the way, Red refocused his attention and crawled back to Joe. Joe made a weak effort to scramble away, but Red was too quick as he grabbed his waist and dragged him back. Once he had Joe beside him he punched him in the face, sending his body rolling. Flipping him back over with a grunt, he straddled Joe once more and began punching.

At some point he stopped punching and began digging into flesh with his nails, scratching and pulling...ripping. He used his teeth too, eventually, though he'll never remember that.

King Fonz sat on the sidelines, occasionally grumbling but sitting as a silent observer for the most part. Soon, Joe stopped moving. A little while after that, his gasping sobs and screams faded into silence.

Red was shaking when he finally got off of Joe. He leaned against King Fonz for support as he panted, eyeing Joe's body thoughtfully. Once he caught his breath he returned to the corpse and began digging through his belongings until he found his pokeballs. There were only two. He pressed the button on the first and a red light shown forth, encapsulating Charlemagne's body and drawing him inside.

Red picked up the ball, gazing at it thoughtfully. He tried to smile, now that there was no one around to judge, but it felt odd. He quickly gave up the effort and secured the ball to his belt. Curiously, he picked up the second ball. Returning to King Fonz's side, he sat down, leaning against him again, and placed the ball on the ground. He doubted there was anything worthwhile in it. Which was good, he supposed, because the few pokemon he had left weren't in much condition to fight. With that thought in mind, he put his foot on the ball and rolled it around until he managed to hit the tiny button, making the ball expand. He rolled it back, hitting the button again, then drew his foot back as a jet of red light burst from the ball. The red light clotted together into a solid form and, soon, Red found a tiny Pichu sitting at his feet.

He stared at it. He thought he should probably be surprised. He'd never seen a Pichu before. They weren't common in Kanto. The feeling wasn't there though.

"Pii?" the creature questioned, looking around. Thankfully, it didn't look behind itself, or it would have spotted the bloody, torn body of its trainer. It was a tiny thing, definitely no more than a level five. Red picked it up and held it up to his face.

He liked it. He wanted to convey that to King Fonz, but he really didn't want to make the extra noise talking would create.

King Fonz seemed to understand though.

* * *

Red had to bathe again, which was annoying, but once he was presentable, he decided he needed to get moving. He'd eaten the food Joe had on him, sharing with the pokemon that were conscious. He still needed to find a PokeCenter though. Air was still fainted, so he surfed across the lake on King Fonz. It ended up being much larger than he guessed and King Fonz was exhausted by the time they got across but, nonetheless, they did get across. Red returned King Fonz to his pokeball and continued on foot, the whole time keeping on his shoulder the Pichu, whose confusion at the sudden change in ownership was almost completely worn off, it being so young.

It only took about two hours to get to Viridian City and Red wandered around aimlessly until he stumbled upon the PokeCenter. Some people were looking at him oddly, and he realized that at some point, Abby's kidnapper (he couldn't remember his name anymore) had torn his shirt during their struggle. While his pokemon were being healed, he sat in the waiting center and went into a deep contemplation over how he felt about his shirt tearing. By the time Nurse Joy returned his pokemon to him, he had decided that he didn't really care that his shirt was torn, but he thought he might have been a little grateful that it was the shirt that had torn and not his jacket.

Now that his pokemon were in top health, Red wasn't really sure what he wanted to do. That question, "What now?" loomed before him once again.

Helix was gone, as were Bird Jesus and the Archangel. Abby was back. Should he look for Jay Leno?

A Rattata would be a lot harder to find than a Charmeleon.

The PokeCenter was too loud for him, so he went outside. The city was bustling with noises too though, unfortunately. The PokeCenter wasn't too far from the city limits, so he headed south, stopping once he found himself in a peaceful, quiet grove.

He sat down to think.

First he thought about his mom, but that soon led to thoughts about why the moon was visible during the day sometimes, and how he knew blood tasted like copper, even though he'd never tasted copper. As his thoughts continued to drift he pulled out his pokedex and mindlessly started messing with it, opening and closing it and playing with the buttons.

He thought about houses burning down, which made him think of drowning, which made him think of his Lapras. His memory of his journey was fuzzy, and _their_ words often came in a jumble, oftentimes not even making sense. He remembered talk of a prophet though. Air. Air Jordan. The Prophet. Was Air the same as Bird Jesus and the Archangel then?

Could Lapras' drown? They were water pokemon, but they breathed air. That meant lungs, right? Which meant drownability.

Lapras' could definitely burn. Like houses did. He felt certain of that.

Air probably wasn't a prophet though. Right? Pidgeot and AA-J had been clearly defined by _them_ as prophets through nicknames that Red could follow. Air Jordan though...he felt like he remembered the word prophet being associated with her, but then, maybe _they_ had just been discussing Pidgeot and AA-J along with Air, and the word prophet got thrown around in his head.

Red hit a button on his pokedex and the recorded cry of a pokemon sounded.

He didn't really want to destroy Lapras on a maybe. He'd hate to get rid of her because he remembered _their_ words wrong.

He hit the button and repeated the recorded cry. It was a soothing sound. Also irritating.

Air was...gentle. Quiet. She was peaceful. He liked her.

After hitting the button on his pokedex three more times, Red finally looked down at the screen, only to find a picture of a Bulbasaur looking back at him. He furrowed his eyebrows. This was familiar.

And then it hit him. This had been a sound that had cut through the noise. The noise of _them_. He remembered this noise.

A sudden desire for a Bulbasaur swept through him. _They_ had been obsessed with Bulbasaur, that was right! But _they_ never obtained one. _They_ never tried, if he remembered right. Perhaps _they_ had been afraid. Could Bulbasaur keep _them_ at bay? _They_ were obsessed because of fear?

He needed a Bulbasaur. A Bulbasaur could protect him.

He'd think more about Air later.

Pichu was playing at his feet while he made these decisions, and ran up his leg onto his shoulder when he stood to leave. Red headed back to the city. First he would buy a new shirt, to deflect attention away from himself, and then he would buy a new map (he had a feeling he already had one in the PC, but he was afraid to check). A few general items probably wouldn't hurt either, like potions and food.

He didn't know where to find Bulbasaurs in the wild, so he'd have to trade for it. Hopefully Air was good enough bartering material, if he decided to get rid of her. First though, he needed to get out of the area. The death of Abby's kidnapper had been self-defense, but still. Best not to hang around the area too long.

He had gotten tons of money from winning the league, so shopping wasn't an issue. He finished quickly, wanting to get away from the noisy chimes of the register and the chatter of the shoppers, then traveled on, heading north. He didn't look at the map until he was well away from the noise of the city, where he could concentrate.

He decided to go to Celedon. Everyone knew that was the biggest city around and, while it did look kind of far, Red figured that was probably the best place to find people looking for a trade.

Even if it would be loud and bothersome.

* * *

Mt. Moon. Red had forgotten about Mt. Moon.

He felt something he thought might have been exasperation bubbling in his gut. He sighed to let it out.

He didn't have a pokemon that knew Flash, so he released Abby, so that she (the kidnapper had added boy parts to her, who knew why, but Red took care of that...she seemed to remember who she was after that, because she started listening to him) could light a path with her tail.

Abby shook as she walked, a habit she'd developed ever since he saved her, but nonetheless, she did a good job at leading them through the cave.

About halfway through, they encountered another trainer, a man. He seemed excited to see them and ran over.

"Hey, let's-"

"Trade?" Red asked without enthusiasm.

The man wilted a bit. "Trade? Well, maybe. Could we battle first?"

Red stared at him.

The man sighed. "What d'ya got?"

"Do you have a Bulbasaur?"

The man scratched his beard. "Can't say I do, son. I have a Snorlax. What'dya think of that?"

Red thought about it. He didn't want a Snorlax, but he knew they were fairly rare. Someone might be more willing to trade for a Snorlax than they would for anything he was willing to give up.

He hadn't decided on Lapras yet though, and he didn't particularly want to part with King Fonz.

"Venemoth. 39."

It took the man a moment to comprehend what Red was saying. When he did, he scoffed, looking offended. "Look here son, my Snorlax is a level 42. Not only is he stronger, but he's rarer to boot. No way am I giving him up for some run of the mill Venemoth."

Red tilted his head, evaluating the situation. Pichu made a small noise, nibbling his ear. He found he didn't mind though.

"How about that Charmeleon you have there? Looks a little weak, but I'll take 'er."

Red's eyes flicked from Abby to the stranger. He'd finished evaluating. "Let's battle first."

The man's face brightened up. "Now you're talking! Gotta see the merchandise properly before a trade, right? All right, you're on! Two on two, say?"

Red nodded, not listening, as he took a pokeball off his belt and let it roll off his palm onto the ground. King Fonz emerged with a roar loud enough to send pebbles and debris scattering down the cave walls. Red grimaced and took a step away from him. He hadn't realized how noisy Fonz was when he was at the top of his health.

The trainer snorted. "Not gonna show me that Charmeleon first, huh? Fair enough," he said, as he reached into his knapsack and pulled out a pokeball, "Snorlax could use a warm-up before he-"

"Fonz," Red cut in, nodding his head toward the other trainer. King Fonz roared again and Red covered his ears, sitting down crossed-legged on the cave floor, as the reptilian beast rampaged forward, charging into the man until they collided into a wall. Pichu make a small 'chu' sound before nosing the brim of Red's hat until he managed to worm his way underneath.

The pokeball rolled from the trainer's hand and Red considered getting it, but the man was also screaming and Fonz was making some sort of loud crunchy noise. He pressed his palms more tightly against his ears, watching as blood spattered on the ground. It was best to just wait for the whole thing to be over. Noise aside, Red didn't want to get his clothes dirty.

It was when an arm fell about a yard away from Red that he decided the job was probably done. Keeping his hands on his ears, he stood up.

"Fonz," he called, struggling to make himself heard over the noise. King Fonz heard though and ceased his actions. He turned to regard his master and the trainer's body fell to the ground with a thump. A wailing sob followed the thump. Red sneered. He figured the man would have been unconscious, at the very least. How irritating.

Red approached the body cautiously, making sure not to step in any blood puddles. Along with the missing arm, the man had one obviously broken leg, and a gash in his stomach. His sobs were turning to wheezes. Red crouched down next to him, finally taking his hands away from his ears. He flinched as all the sounds of a dying man assaulted his ears unbuffered. On top of his head, Pichu peeked out from beneath his hat, observing the scene before him.

"Don't knock my hat off," Red whispered.

"Pii," Pichu whispered back.

The man wasn't looking at them. His eyes were moving erratically though, as if he were watching a Zubat fly around. Red glanced up, careful not to disturb Pichu's balance. No Zubat. He briefly wondered if he was delirious. It didn't really matter though.

Gingerly, Red took off his gloves and put them in his pockets. "This is fair," he explained, as he took ATV's pokeball from his belt. He dug his fingers into the wound on the man's stomach, using both hands to rip the flesh aside. The man finally went silent, though he seemed to still be breathing. Once he had opened the wound to his preferences, he picked up ATV's pokeball and shoved it as far as he could into the man's innards. "He slays dragons. This is fair," he further elaborated, as he stood. Turning his back on the corpse, he walked back to the earlier discarded pokeball. The shiny ball sat gleaming amongst the blood pools, managing to avoid getting more than a few dirt smudges on it. Red carefully took a pokeball from his belt, careful not to get blood on his clothes.

He clicked the button twice and Air Jordan materialized before him.

Silently, he held his hands out flat before her. Immediately, she gathered a pool of water in her mouth and ran it over Red's hands until they were clean. Once she was finished, Red pointed to King Fonz and he stumbled over and allowed Air to wash the blood off him as well. He didn't seem to enjoy the impromptu bath, but he kept his grumbling to a minimum. Red's fingers shook, but otherwise he tolerated the slight noises.

Drying his hands on his jeans, he replaced his gloves then lifted his hat, allowing Pichu to scamper down to his shoulder. Once Pichu was situated, Red bent down and retrieved the fallen pokeball.

He didn't know much about trading, though he remembered trading his Spearow for DUX. That seemed to work well. DUX had always obeyed _them_. This was just as fair as a trade; ATV was a good pokemon, so Snorlax, theoretically, would obey without question. Some training might be in order, assuming he even had to use him before trading for a Bulbasaur.

Placing the new pokemon in ATV's old spot, Red called back the now clean King Fonz, as well as Air. Glancing over his shoulder, he beaconed for Abby, who had remained silent throughout the affair, to come to his side. For one last time, he carefully stepped around the blood puddles to stand by the strange trainer's side. Reaching down, he picked up the man's knapsack and looked inside. In addition to food, rope, a few repels, and a couple of potions, the man had three pokeballs in the sack. He briefly considered releasing them, but finally decided that would be unsafe, given the state of their trainer. They might be upset with him.

He took the rope and some of the food, then, dropping the bag by the body, placed a gentle hand atop Abby's head for a moment, then gently nudged her forward so that she could light the way out of the cave.

* * *

Once Red made his way out of the Mt. Moon caves, he soon found himself in Cerulean City. A quick glance at the map showed him that he was a little more than halfway to his destination. First thing first though, it would be a good idea to buy food for himself and his pokemon.

He wasn't sure where else to get food other than the PokeCenter, so that's where he headed.

He took his pokemon to Nurse Joy first. Most of them were in good shape, but he did encounter some wild pokemon in the cave that wouldn't get out of his path without a battle, and he had started his training with Snorlax. Fonz and Lapras had to help get the ball rolling though, in terms of obeying, and Snorlax was a little worse for wear. He'd learned a lot during his training sessions though.

When Nurse Joy returned with his pokemon her eyebrows were creased together and her lips were pursed.

"That's a nasty scar your Charmeleon has, young man," she said, her voice clipped.

"Abby was stolen from me," Red said quietly as he took the tray from her, "I couldn't rescue her in time."

Nurse Joy's face took on a slightly less suspicious tone, "Poor dear. Was it Team Rocket?"

Team Rocket was disbanded. Red wondered if she didn't know that, or if she was trying to catch him in a lie. He shook his head no.

She made a slight humming noise. "People can be needlessly cruel, can't they? I'm sorry your pokemon had to go through that. Did you treat the wounds with potions when you got her back?"

Red nodded as he hooked his pokeballs onto his belt. He released Pichu, setting the mouse atop his head, before securing his pokeball to its spot.

"You know, you should take a visit to the Pokemon Care Center. It's just down the street. They take in abandoned and abused pokemon, and I'm sure they would have something to help with the appearance of scars."

Red stared at her.

Her smiled faltered as suspicion settled back in. "We hope to see you again."

Red nodded distractedly as he wandered to the back of the center, where food (and PokeFood) were kept. Once he'd made his choices and paid for his purchases, he hesitated by the door before turning around and staring at Nurse Joy until he caught her eye.

He pointed to the right.

It took her a moment to understand, but when she did she smiled slightly and nodded. "Yup, to the right. About three buildings down."

Red nodded, whether in thanks or affirmation she couldn't tell, and then left the center.

* * *

"Your Pichu looks very happy. Do you always let him stay out of his pokeball?"

Red nodded as the owner of the shelter, a young girl about his own age who identified herself as Melanie, pulled a bottle out of a cabinet and uncorked the top. "I think it's wonderful when trainers travel with their pokemon side by side like that. I mean, of course it isn't always practical, some pokemon are just too big, or unsuited for certain climates, but in general. Come here, sweetie, this won't hurt," she cooed as she crouched down in front of Charmeleon and gingerly applied the ointment, "Your Charmeleon, Abby was it? She's so quiet. Most Charmeleons I've met have been a bit temperamental, but yours is so calm. She's big too, for a girl!" she said, laughing. Red put a hand atop Abby's head and gently rubbed his thumb against her skin.

"I love her," he said, because it was true, and he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say.

Melanie was smiling and avoiding his eyes. "I can tell. I'm sorry I can't give you the whole bottle. The center doesn't make a lot of money, you see. But if you keep stopping by, I'll keep treating her. This stuff is pretty potent, so it shouldn't take long to see results!"

Digging into his bag, Red found his wallet and removed a wad of PokeDollars. Ever since he won the league, he had more money than he knew what to do with. He shoved the wad towards her.

She seemed confused for a few seconds before she started shaking her head frantically. "Oh no! No, it's not worth all that! Not even if it was a full bottle!"

"For the shelter, then," Red said, gently forcing the money into her hand and taking the bottle from her. She started beaming at him, but he didn't notice as he placed the bottle into his bag.

"This is very kind of you," she said, placing the money on the counter.

"Mel! We're back from the PokePark! Oh! A visitor! Howdy there, friend! How are you?" A man, he looked to be several years older than Melanie, walked through the entrance, four pokemon trailing behind him and one in front. Red stood rooted to the spot.

"Bulbasaur," he said, eyes trained on the pokemon leading the group.

Melanie smiled at the newcomer and, placing a hand on Red's shoulder (he started, but was too transfixed on the Bulbasaur to bother with jerking away), said, "Jeffery, hey! This is Red, he came here to get some help for his Charmeleon. Red, this is my brother, Jeffery, he's in charge of the shelter."

"Nice to meet you, Red!" the man said, holding out his hand. Red glanced down at it before glancing back up.

"I'd like to trade for your Bulbasaur."

Jeffery lowered his hand.

"We're not really in the business of trading, Red," Melanie said, squeezing his shoulder lightly, "This is a place for pokemon to heal. They're not really ours. We're not their trainers, I mean."

"The pokemon here will eventually be returned to the wild," Jeffery elaborated.

"I have a Snorlax," Red blurted out. His mouth felt dry and a little sticky.

Melanie did seem to light up a little, sending hope bubbling through Red's gut, but it was a fleeting feeling. "Oh, Snorlax are so wonderful! I've heard nothing but good things about them. I bet yours is a wonderful companion," she smiled sadly, "But even if we could trade, a Snorlax is a bit too big for either of us to handle."

"We couldn't afford the food alone!" Jeffery chimed in with a laugh.

Red nodded slowly. His thoughts seemed like they were coming to him through a field of sludge, and he had trouble deciding what to do next. After a moment he returned Abby to her pokeball and reshouldered his bag, knocking Melanie's hand from his shoulder in the process. She seemed startled.

"You're leaving?"

Red nodded.

"Well, thank you for your help," she said, trailing after him as he walked toward the exit. Jeffery and the pokemon parted for him without being asked. "Hey," she called, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back before he could leave. This time he did jerk away, but he stopped and turned back, staring at her expectantly. Maybe there were storage instructions for the medicine she wanted to explain.

"Um," she stuttered, looking away from his unrelenting gaze, "I was just wondering if, uh, you were going to be in Cerulean for a while."

Red shrugged one shoulder. He couldn't leave without Bulbasaur, but he didn't have a plan yet. Either way he failed to see how it concerned her. "Maybe a few days."

She smiled. "Maybe we could spend some time together then, while you're here. I'd love to get to know you better. You could tell me about your travels."

Her face was turning red. Red wasn't stupid, he knew enough about people to know he was being asked on a date. She probably would want to hold his hand. The hairs on his neck stood up as a chill went down his spine. He imagined hugging her and tasted bile in the back of his throat.

Bulbasaur, though.

"Sure," he said, noticing but ignoring the suspicious looks Jeffery was shooting him, "Where do you live?"

"I stay here, actually, with the pokemon!" she chirped, smiling brightly, "There's a room in the back. Jeffery doesn't live that close, so it's really convenient for me to be here all the time, in case something happens. Plus you never know when someone is going to show up with a pokemon that needs help!"

Red couldn't imagine someone taking an injured pokemon here without going to the PokeCenter first. "I'll stop by tomorrow then, at noon."

"Alright, see you then, Red. I'll be looking forward to it."

Red nodded and left. He'd be staying in Cerulean City for longer than he originally planned, then. At least the night. He walked around the city until he found a place that he deemed quiet enough; his conversations with Nurse Joy, Melanie, and Jeffrey had left him with a headache, and besides that, he needed to think of a plan to get Bulbasaur.

It would be easiest when Jeffery wasn't around. Dealing with one person would always be easier than dealing with two. She would be alone come nightfall.

Red lay down in the tall grass surrounding him and closed his eyes. Pichu crawled onto his stomach, curling up to join him in his nap. He placed a hand on the creature's back and let himself melt into the silence surrounding them.

He had a good idea of what he needed to do. Now he just had to wait.

* * *

When Red awoke, the sun was setting, and he had acquired some bug bites. That wasn't a big deal though. He didn't move until it was dark, even when he felt new bugs crawling on him and giving him new bites. When the sliver of the moon that was visible was finally shining above him, he sat up and brushed the dirt from his clothes, carefully depositing Pichu beside him while he did so.

He rifled through his bag a bit until he found the rope he had taken from the hiker he traded with in Mt. Moon. He called out Abby and had her burn it, separating it into two smaller pieces. He placed them in the front compartment of his backpack, where they'd be in easy reach, and then shouldered the bag.

Abby was watching him and he met her gaze, trying to convey his thoughts to her through look alone.

He needed her tonight. They needed to rescue their ally.

He wasn't sure if she understood, but he smiled at her anyway, an almost unnoticeable tugging upward of his lips, and then hugged her, resting his forehead against hers. She didn't return the hug, but he noticed that she didn't shake around him anymore.

He didn't know what that freak of a trainer did to her, but she was getting better. He'd do whatever he could to make her happy again.

After a moment he let go of her and returned her to her pokeball. Pichu hopped onto his shoulder and he glanced at him, silently conveying a need for silence. Pichu understood.

Red crept through the town, walking in shadows. He was naturally good at avoiding people, so adjusting his route to ensure he wasn't seen was almost second-nature to him. There were only a couple of people still out at that hour, so he made it to the shelter fairly quickly. Without hesitation, he knocked.

He had to knock once more before a disheveled looking Melanie finally appeared, clothed in her pajamas and looking half asleep.

"Wha...? Red?" she asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes, "What time is it? Are you okay?"

Red shook his head. "I need your help. Please, let me in."

Much more alert, she nodded and quickly stepped aside, ushering him in. "Of course, what's wrong? Is it your pokemon?"

Red quickly surveyed his surroundings. A few pokemon seemed to be in pokeballs, judging from the lineup on the desk, but the majority seemed to be sleeping around the house. There was an Oddish sleeping soundly next to a potted plant in the corner, with a Caterpie curled up inside the plant itself, and a Sandshrew was snoozing on top of a table. A couple of Rattata were cuddled up together underneath a chair, and there was a Paras, awake, peeking at him from a door at the back of the room.

He nodded. "Abby. I think she had a reaction to the medicine."

Melanie gasped quickly, fingers flying to her lips, "Oh dear! Did you put too much on? Is it very bad? Let me see her, maybe I can help."

Red released Abby and, before the glow of the ball had even faded, grabbed Melanie's wrist and pulled her toward him, getting both hands behind her before she could even comprehend what was happening.

"Red!?" she cried in alarm, kicking her feet wildly and trying to hit him with her shoulders, "What...are you doing!? Hel-mmph!" Her scream was cut off as Red covered her mouth with his hand, holding her tiny wrists together with just one hand. Using his height and weight advantage, he managed to drag her struggling form over to the table. He suddenly let go of her and she bolted toward the door, sobbing hysterically. She only got about two steps before Red swung a chair at her, hitting her in the head and knocking her to the floor.

The pokemon in the center were awake now, and screeches and hissing soon flooded the building. From the door in the back, a Weepinbell and his Bulbasaur emerged, joining the Paras in the doorway.

"Abby," he said quietly, and Abby nodded, opening her mouth and setting the building ablaze.

Red bend down to quickly check that Melanie was knocked out. Assured, he gently turned her head so that the spot he had hit was against the floor. He hoped that doing so would make it look like she had fallen, and not been hit. Assuming her body didn't completely burn away, that is. His plan had been to tie her up, not knock her out, but it was actually better this way. Not being awake while she burned alive was probably the pleasanter way to go.

The flames were growing more intense, but Abby was still having trouble fending off all the pokemon attacking her. Red shrugged the shoulder Pichu was sitting on and the little creature obediently hopped down, unleashing a thunder shock on their opponents.

The training they'd done on the way to the city had definitely paid off, as the two pokemon were soon the only ones left standing (of course, the smoke inhalation and the fact that half the pokemon were injured in some way to begin with, what with being shelter pokemon, helped). Pichu ran back up Red's shoulder while Abby set about burning Melanie's body. While she did that, Red zipped up his jacket and held it open. Taking the hint, Piichu crawled inside, protecting his tiny lungs from the smoke. Red held Piichu to his stomach with one hand and covered his own nose and mouth with the other as he stepped around the fainted bodies on the floor. Once he found his Bulbasaur he took off his bag and rummaged through it until he found one of the two empty pokeballs he had purchased back in Viridian. Before throwing it, he glanced down at Pichu, who, perhaps sensing his gaze, peeked back at him through the opening in his jacket.

Our first capture, he thought.

"Chaaa," Pichu whispered back, smiling.

* * *

Red managed to get all the way to the bridge by the time he heard the faint ring of sirens. He carefully slid down the bank and ducked underneath the bridge, where he stripped off his clothes. Going to a hotel or the PokeCenter might seem suspicious, so he planned on staying just outside of town. He smelled like smoke though, and he needed to bathe. Abby smelling like smoke was normal, but Piichu needed to bathe too, as well as Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur's bath should probably wait though. He'd had a rough night.

Red remembered as a child, hearing people say the criminal "always returns to the scene of the crime." He wasn't sure if returning would be a good idea, but he didn't want people following him. Jeffery knew he was supposed to show up at noon tomorrow. If he didn't know Melanie was dead, why wouldn't he show up? He was a stranger in town, and strangers were always suspicious.

Once clean, Red gathered up his wet clothes and placed them on the side of the bank. He put his hat back on, despite it still being wet, because he didn't like how exposed his face felt without it, but aside from that he continued on naked. Not liking the thought of going up to route 24 or 25, he called out Air and climbed aboard her. She surfed eastward until they found a tiny plot of land jutting out under the cliffs of route 25. Air deposited Red on the shore and he recalled her, then went about laying his wet clothes on nearby rocks to dry.

Grateful that the rocky terrain wasn't sandy, so he wouldn't have to wash when he awoke, Red nestled his bag by some rocks and placed his pokeballs on the ground in front of him. He lay down next to them, circling an arm around them and pulling them close to his chest, while Pichu pushed his way under Red's hand.

Red stared down at the ball that held Bulbasaur, feeling a sense of peace and security envelop him. Bulbasaur was with him. He could keep _them_ away. He was safe.

Safe.

He closed his eyes and smiled, feeling a distracting, yet pleasant, tightening in his chest.

Abby, Pichu, Air, King Fonz, Snorlax, Bulbasaur...

How wonderful family was.

* * *

Bulbasaur and Snorlax both needed training. Snorlax showed progress every day, but Bulbasaur didn't listen well at all.

He had gotten out of Cerulean easily enough. He stopped by the care center a half hour before noon, running there. He didn't have it in him to try to act concerned or shocked or devastated, or whatever people felt at these events, but he spent the entire morning working out, so that he would be out of breath when he finished running to the center. Making it look like he had frantically run to the center as soon as he heard was the best he could manage.

He didn't see Jeffery around, so he approached Officer Jenny and asked if he and Melanie were okay, hoping his gasps for breath made him see concerned.

It seemed to work. Officer Jenny didn't look suspicious of him, in any case.

Jeffery was at the PokeCenter, resting after being up half the night, and Melanie was dead. The pokemon were dead, as far as they could tell. People had gotten to the fire fairly quickly, but most of the remains were still charred beyond recognition. The place was poor and they had recently discovered not everything was up to code. The fire was probably electric, or Melanie may have done something careless.

Red thanked her, then stared at the wreckage for a while. Jenny thought that maybe this was a boy that cared deeply for Melanie and pitied him. Red was actually trying to see if he could see any pieces of the pokemon left behind. He supposed that would have been cleaned up by now, but still. It was kind of a shame that they had to die.

Having made his appearance, Red decided it was safe enough to leave, this time heading south. Now that he had Bulbasaur, he didn't really need to go to Celadon City anymore, but he found himself heading there anyway. The only place he could think to go to right now was Pallet Town, though he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted to go there. He had to keep moving though, so it was as good a destination as any. He still missed his mom, though the thought of seeing her made him feel mildly sick.

Going back through Mt. Moon probably wasn't the best option, so he'd have to go the long way, which would be good for training anyway. If he went through Celadon, he'd end up at Cycling Road, and eventually he could surf back to Pallet from Fuchsia. Cycling and surfing seemed like relatively quiet ways to travel.

He moved quickly at first, trying to put distance between himself and Cerulean, but once he was in Saffron City he began traveling at a much more leisurely pace.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of pokemon knew that baby pokemon evolved after relatively little training, but it still took Red by surprise when his Piichu evolved on route sixteen. Every day he spent a considerable amount of time having a personal training session with each of his pokemon. His end goal was for all of his pokemon to understand his commands and desires without his having to speak, since speaking was so noisy and unnecessary. Whether it was due to his young, malleable mind or a natural affinity between him and Red, Piichu had picked up on the silent battle style almost immediately.

When the baby mouse evolved, Red had watched it happen in a state of bewilderment. When the process was finished, and he found a Pikachu sitting before him, he knelt down in front of his precious friend and gathered him in his arms. Pikachu returned the embrace the best he could, pressing his small arms and his face against his trainer's torso while Red held him close. They stayed that way for a while, and Red revealed in the knowledge that he was being completely understood without a single exchange of sound.

The rest of the team grew slowly, but steadily. Red briefly considered setting Snorlax free, as he had only acquired him to obtain Bulbasaur, though it ended up not being necessary. Freeing him felt like a slight against ATV though, who Red still thought fondly of, plus Snorlax was pleasantly quiet, only snoring on occasion. His steps were noisy when he was on the move, but he didn't seem to like moving much, so it wasn't really a problem. He soon proved himself a fine companion and Red found himself becoming attached to his large friend.

Next to Pikachu, King Fonz and Air were probably the best at picking up the new silent battling technique, as the two had a connection to him that went beyond words. They had been there through it all. At the end of the day, when he would sit around the fire with his family, eating dinner, sometimes he thought he glimpsed something in King Fonz and Air's eyes. It could have just been a reflection of the flames, but he was pretty sure it went deeper than that. They had heard the voices too, back then. He was sure of it.

Abby seemed to have reached a deeper understanding of him as well, as she seemed to grow quieter with each passing day. Silent battling was more of a struggle for her than some of the others, but she arguable put the most effort into their training sessions. Sometimes she was so dedicated to pleasing him, Red feared that she thought he was mad at her. His deepest fear was that she felt guilty for escaping _them_ without him. He tried to be extra kind to her, in an attempt to alleviate her fears. She evolved into a Charizard a full five levels earlier than was normal, and he was so proud, he cried as he hugged her around the neck, thinking about how strong she'd grown, despite all that she'd been through. He could feel the tips of her claws on his back during the embrace, the strong talons sharp enough to almost pierce through his jacket without Abby having to apply any pressure. He gazed up at her, not quite able to bring himself to smile, but hoping with all he had that she understood.

Abby's claws briefly pressed against his back before she curled them in, so that the rounded, harmless side of them would press against him as she returned the embrace.

Bulbasaur struggled the most, of all of them. He was very strong-willed, and often resisted training. As his best line of defense against _them_ , Bulbasaur was very dear to Red, but he started to think they never would never grow to understand each other, until they reached the Seafoam Islands. Together, Red and Air safety navigated through the whirlpools and set up camp on one of the islands. Once everyone was out of their pokeballs for dinner, Red had started leaving them out until morning, assuming the weather was nice. He felt comfortable, surrounding by all of his pokemon, and he was pretty sure they enjoyed being able to sleep in the fresh air as well. He'd leave them all out of their pokeballs all the time, if he didn't think they'd get tired. All of that walking on top of training would surely wear them out.

That night, on the island, Red woke up to a sudden storm. The tide had come up considerably and the wind was blowing harshly. Abby and King Fonz, more sensitive to water than the others, were already awake. Abby was quietly sheltering her tail, while King Fonz was grumbling his complaints. Red called him back to his pokeball first, to stop the noise, and then followed suit with Abby. Pikachu had also woken up. Since he typically slept either on Red or next to him, it was inevitable that he wake up when Red moved. Red knew returning him to his pokeball was a waste of time though. The longer he was with him, the more Pikachu grew to detest being inside the contraption. Red understood how he felt, so he never bothered offering the ball to him anymore.

With Pikachu tucked in his jacket, he gently shook Lapras awake, so that he wouldn't startle her when he put her in her ball. Snorlax didn't require the same courtesy, simply because he spent nearly all of his time sleeping anyway. To wake him would just be to bother him. Bulbasaur typically slept further away from the group, though he was always close enough to take advantage of the safety being in a group provided. This time though, Bulbasaur was nowhere in sight. Readjusting his hold on Pikachu, Red stepped away from the cliffside they had been camping beside and trudged out into the storm.

When he heard Bulbasaur's panicked cries, he quickly set Pikachu down next to a small pile of boulders and took off his jacket, leaving it with the mouse as a cover. He jogged toward the cries, unable to see much through the gale. Soon enough he found himself at the shoreline, the churning waves crashing against the rocks and spraying him with water.

"Bulbaaa!"

Just barely, Red could make out the twin vines wrapped around one of the rocks near the shore, extending out into the water. Without another thought, he followed their path and jumped into the water. Vine whip's reach wasn't terribly long, so it didn't take him long to locate the source. With one arm he grabbed hold of his Bulbasaur and pressed him close to his body as he struggled to swim back to shore. The waves rolled violently, knocking them both against the jut of rocks. Red used that to his advantage though, and kept close to the stones, using them to block some of the wind and rain resistance. Bulbasaur's vines had relinquished their grip soon after Red had grabbed him, unable to hold up any longer under the strain of the sea's pull.

Gripping the rocks with his free hand, Red slowly but surely managed to drag them ashore. Once on land, he stopped only long enough to shift Bulbasaur to a move secure position in his arms before he stumbled back the way he came, looking for Pikachu.

He found him quickly enough and scooped him up as well, wrapping both pokemon in his jacket and pressing them close to his torso, in an attempt to shelter them from the elements. The closer he got to the cliffside, the easier it was to move, as the cliff offered protection from the wind and rain. He didn't stop though, instead using the stone wall as a guide until he came to the wide opening of one of the caves.

Being inside the cave was like placing a muffler on the world. The sounds of the storm, once deafening, became white noise in the background. Depositing Bulbasaur and Pikachu on the ground, Red reached for Abby's pokeball and called her back out. After a quick glance at her surroundings, Abby laid down, curling her tail in front of her, so that the flame shown in front of the others. While Bulbasaur and Pikachu warmed themselves by the flame, Red released the others, then deposited his backpack on the ground and started rummaging through it. He dislodged the sole, small frying pan they used for cooking and brought it to Lapras, letting her fill it with water. Once full, he held it over the fire for a moment before carrying it over to Bulbasaur. He dipped his fingers in the water and, satisfied that it wasn't too hot, slowly poured it over the grass pokemon while he tried to rub the salt and sand off of him. After he was done with Bulbasaur, he refilled the pan and did the same for Pikachu, though, having not been in the ocean, he was a bit cleaner to start with.

Once clean, he returned to his backpack and pulled out one of the spare shirts he'd bought in Fuchsia City and dried the two off. Bulbasaur had a couple of cuts on his side, which he treated with a potion. Satisfied with their care, he finally lay back on the ground, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. His eyebrows furrowed together slightly and he opened his eyes again, lifting his left arm to inspect it. He found it to be covered in scratches and bruises, from where he hit the rocks in the water. His clothes were still wet, so peeling his gloves off was more bothersome than he would have liked, but he was pleased to find that they had protected his palms from receiving the same treatment as his arm.

He slowly stripped off all his clothes. Lapras had already fallen asleep and he didn't want to disturb her again, so he piled them to the side, resolving to wash the salt off them the next day. His wounds would have to wait until then too. He was too exhausted to trouble with them.

He lay down again, this time next to Snorlax, in order to share his warmth. It crossed his mind that the creature might roll over in his sleep and crush him, but after little deliberation he elected to take the chance. His eyes were closed only a moment before he felt a warm, wet sensation on his arm, accompanied by a stringing sensation in his cuts. Cracking one eye open, he glanced down and saw Bulbasaur, gingerly licking his wounds clean. He closed his eye again and relaxed, just as Pikachu's familiar weight settled on his stomach. When he awoke in the morning, Snorlax hadn't crushed him, Pikachu was still on his stomach, and Bulbasaur was nestled under his arm, face burrowed against his side.

After that, Bulbasaur started making strides in his training. Red decided to stay in the cave and train some, enjoying the silence and solitude the area provided. Unlike Mt. Moon, this cave seemed to be deserted of people.

It was in these caves that Bulbasaur evolved into Ivysaur, and he made the transition to Venusaur while they were staying on Cinnabar Island. While he was too big to nestle himself under Red's arm anymore, he did his best to sleep close to his trainer, no longer sleeping on the very outskirts of the group.

* * *

When he arrived in Pallet Town, it was with expectations. He expected to feel something: anxiety, excitement, fear…anything, really. But he didn't feel a thing. He couldn't even bring himself to feel surprise at his faulty expectations.

He walked through the town slowly, trying to observe what had changed since he'd left. His memory was growing hazy though, and it was hard to tell what was old and what was new. Professor Oak's lab looked larger than he remembered, but he wasn't sure. He thought there might have been more houses than he remembered, but…he wasn't sure.

Some people glanced at him as he walked by, but no one said anything. He wasn't sure if they were recognizing him, or perhaps just admiring Pikachu. During his travels, he'd been rather chagrined to find that, whenever he did find himself crossing paths with people, about half the time they would approach, fawning over the pokemon or asking to pet him. Red hated it.

But these people didn't approach. He walked all the way to his house without being bothered, but when he tried the door, it was locked. He knocked, then waited, then knocked again, before accepting that no one was home.

They had a spare key though; he remembered that from his childhood. There were flowers in front of the house and on the left, there were three plastic Spearows on poles sticking out of the ground, each in a different flying position. All of them had a hidden compartment in them, assessable through one of the wings. They were all empty save for the middle Spearow, which held the key.

Once he fetched it, Red let himself into the house, careful to close the door behind him. Natural light filtered through the windows, lighting up the kitchen and the living room. He walked over to one of the shelves and picked up a picture of himself and his mom, from their vacation to Cinnabar Island. He was fairly young in the photo, but he remembered the trip well enough. There were a lot of hot springs. It was boring.

He brought the photo to the kitchen table and sat down, running his thumb over his mother's smiling face. He didn't have a dad. But that was okay.

He didn't really feel relieved or disappointed that his mom wasn't here, but he supposed he did feel a little curious. He wondered how she was doing. It didn't cross his mind before that _they_ might have done something to her, but now he found himself considering the idea. She'd be no match for _them_. But then again, who would?

Licking his chapped lips, he put down the photo and placed a hand on Pikachu's head. He would be a match for _them_. That didn't really help him though, now that _they_ had already inflicted their damage.

He investigated his room before he left, searching for anything he might want to take with him. He took one pair of jeans, a large blanket at the end of his bed, and four pairs of socks. When he went back to the kitchen he grabbed a sharp kitchen knife, a fork, and a spoon. He figured his mom probably wouldn't mind too much.

He ran his eyes over the room one last time, not desiring to wait around until his mother returned. His gaze fell on the photo that he had left on the table and he crossed to it, picking it up one more time. He stared at her face for a long time before he placed the photo down again, his brows furrowed and a small scowl on his face.

He didn't want to do this.

Reaching for his belt, he unhooked King Fonz's ball and expanded it, feeling the familiar weight in his hand.

He had to though. Mom was defenseless.

He pressed the ball against his forehead and closed his eyes, trying to convey his thoughts to King Fonz.

 _They_ could return at any time. And he honestly didn't care what _they_ did or who _they_ hurt.

Before he could change his mind, he placed the ball on the table, beside the photo.

Except her. When it came to his mom, he still sort of felt…

He left, not looking back once, and locking the door behind him. King Fonz and Air were the only ones that truly understood, and Fonz could protect her on land much more efficiently than Air could. It had to be him. Besides, Fonz always struggled with being quiet. Red knew that. With Mom, he could be as noisy as he liked. He'd probably be happy.

He would understand, of all of them. Red knew he would understand.

* * *

His next course of business was getting out of Pallet. Now that he was here, he found himself wanting nothing more than to leave. He had an idea of where he wanted to go.

He went to Viridian first, not having much choice, as it was in the way of his destination. Aside from what he'd taken from his house, he hadn't stocked up on any provisions in Pallet, simply to avoid running into anyone he knew at the store. He felt safe in his anonymity in Viridian though, and went straight to a PokeMart to buy food and medicine.

"Well, well, who would have thought I'd run into a loser like you here?"

A hand was placed on his shoulder and Red spun around while simultaneously stepping backwards, knocking several boxes of Kakuna Krisps and a box of Abra Kadabra Cookies off the shelf. He locked eyes with Blue long enough for the recognition to settle in, then ducked down and began picking up the fallen merchandise. Blue scoffed.

"Geez, Red, always the klutz," he said, not bothering to help, "Why are you so jumpy anyway? Has fame been treating you poorly?"

Red put the items back on the shelf, ensuring they were all facing the same direction. Pikachu, who had been atop his head throughout the entire ordeal, taped his tail against Red's neck as he was putting the cookies away. Red hesitated for a second before taking the cookies back off the shelf and throwing the box in his shopping basket.

Blue was shifting from one foot to the other, watching him. "I guess you're mad at me, then?"

Red glanced at his old rival and briefly considered answering him, since he could do so with a simple shake of the head. He decided it was too much of a bother though. He continue shopping.

Blue groaned and followed, quickly falling into step beside him. "Look, I know I was a jerk while we were traveling. I just…really wanted to be champion, you know? I wanted to prove myself to my gramps and stuff. It wasn't really personal. And besides…"

Red grabbed a few things off the shelf, trying to focus on the things that they absolutely couldn't find in the wild. Salt would probably be helpful, for fish, and whatever other meat they managed to hunt.

"…I wasn't really myself during that time. It's hard to explain. It's like…like I wasn't really in control of what I was doing. Everything just went straight to my head. Does that make sense?"

Red's attention was caught. He glanced at Blue, staring at him until Blue grew uncomfortable.

Finally, he nodded.

Taking Red's understanding as forgiveness, Blue grinned cheekily. "I knew you wouldn't stay mad, you old stinker. I've changed a lot since then anyway. You won't believe what I've been up to since the league!"

Red returned to his shopping.

"That's right!" he proudly thrust his thumb towards his chest, "You're looking at the Viridian City gym leader! Been here almost two months now. It's been a blast! No one can beat me!" He leaned towards Red. Red sent him a side glance, leery of how much his personal space was being invaded. "Even you, pal, so you better keep up on your game! No slacking!"

They went down another aisle, Blue chattering enough for the two of them. "Pikachu's kind of a weird choice, considering you have Zapdos. You never struck me as a down grader."

He started laughing, stopping only when Red turned around and slapped his hand over his mouth. Blue was immediately silenced, staring with wide eyes as Red slowly removed his hand, fixing him with a stern look.

Understandably startled, Blue quietly followed Red to the register, observing the other as he paid for his goods.

"So, uh, what have you been up to anyway?" Red cast him a look that hinted as exasperation, but Blue continued regardless. "I saw your mom a while ago, when I was visiting my sis and Gramps. She said you haven't been home since the league." He paused. "That's been a while now, Red."

"Here you are! Thank you!"

Red ignored the cashier, so Blue nodded to him instead, not wanting to seem rude. He followed his childhood friend out of the store.

"Red. Hey, come on," he reached forward to grab Red's arm, but Red jerked out of reach.

Blue watched him carefully. "Are you…alright? I don't think you've said a word since we bumped into each other."

Red stared back.

"Did something happen? You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, we've had our differences sure, but at the end of the day…I mean…" Blue licked his lips as he waited for Red to speak up, but he was met with silence. "Red…you _can_ talk, right?"

Red considered that himself. Could he? Maybe. Probably. It didn't matter, either way. Satisfied with that deduction, he turned away from Blue and began heading west.

But Blue kept on his heels. "Will you stop for just one second!?" Red obeyed, but he didn't turn around. Blue started to reach out toward him, wanting to force him to turn around, but ended up retracting his hand. "You should visit your mom. She worries so much. She's making herself sick, worrying. It's not right."

Pikachu glanced back at him, then hopped down from Red's head to his shoulder. Red didn't move.

"Can you at least tell me where you're going, then? If you won't see her, I can tell her myself that you're okay."

Red finally glanced back, and Blue took the moment to notice the things he hadn't noticed before. Red's face looked sharper than he remembered. More mature. His posture was rigid, like he was on the alert, and his arms looked more toned than they used to. He hadn't realized how hostile Red looked now. And his eyes…

"You _are_ okay…right?"

Blue would never receive an answer to that question, but he really didn't need one. He knew the answer. Surprisingly, Red did decide to answer his other question, as his arm extended and he pointed off into the distance.

Blue raised an eyebrow. "Back to Indigo Plateau? Are you going to take the position as reigning Champion then? I have to admit, I was a little surprised when I heard Lance was still there."

Red shook his head, then raised his arm a bit higher.

Now both of Blue's eyebrows shot up. "What? The mountain!? Mt. Silver? What on earth are you going to do there?"

Red lowered his arm and stared at him. He stared with all his might, and Blue knew he was missing something. Red was trying to tell him something.

But Blue would never understand.

Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer, Blue sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Red," he sighed again, "Are you even thinking? What are you going to do up on a mountain? There's nothing for you there. It's dangerous. Come back with me to Pallet Town." He took a careful step forward, mindful of Red's apparent aversion to being touched. "We can go see your mom together. And Gramps. At least do that before you leave. You don't have to run away to some mountain by yourself when-"

This time, Red only placed two fingers to Blue's mouth, rather than his whole hand. Blue grabbed his hand, but Red wretched it free, clenching it into a fist.

"What is wrong with you!? You jerk away from me, yet you don't have a problem putting your hands on my mouth! Am I too loud for you, Red!? Huh!?"

Red nodded.

Blue relaxed his posture. Something was wrong with Red. He couldn't hold that against him. He felt queasy, seeing him like this. They'd grown up together. This had been his rival. "Look," he said, reaching for his belt, "if you're going to go, then at least take this with you." A pokeball was thrust in Red's direction.

Red glanced between the ball and Blue's face before he unclenched his fist. Shoulders relaxing a little, he reached forward and took the offering.

"It's my Blastoise."

Red's eyes shot up to him, and Blue thought he could understand him that time.

"Yeah, that's right. _My_ best friend. He's the only one I trust to take care of your hopeless ass. You dumb stinker. You better be good to him! I'm really only giving him to you because he likes traveling better than being at the gym. But you better be good to him!"

Red nodded once, then held the ball against his chest. Pikachu leaned down to sniff it.

Blue figured that was the best he was going to get, in terms of reassurance. He felt even queasier than he did before.

Once again, Red turned his back on him, continuing westward. This time, Blue didn't try to stop him.

"Smell ya later, loser! Don't you dare die!"

Red kept walking, not looking back.

"You hear me!? Don't you dare die and leave my Blastoise up on that dumb mountain!" Blue grumbled to himself as he kicked at the ground.

Stupid Red. The dumb loser.

* * *

Years passed.

People seemed to forget all about Red, the Pokemon Champion. Never defeated.

Not everyone forgot though. The people of Pallet Town remembered. They were reminded every time they saw his mother walking through town with her Nidoking. He helped her carry groceries and did chores around the house. She was never the same, a light seemed to be missing from her eyes, but the presence of her Nidoking seemed to keep her going. The townsfolk were glad he was there to help her.

Professor Oak also never forgot. Red had been such a normal child. Rambunctious, and full of life. His disappearance from society had been such a puzzle to the professor.

Perhaps that was why he told the Gold boy about him. Maybe he was the piece he needed to finally solve the puzzle that was Pokemon Champion Red.

Maybe he was the piece that would finally bring the puzzle home.

* * *

 _Right_.

 _Up._

 _Left._

 _Up._

 _Up._

 _Down._

 _We made it guys!_

 _Staaahp, we need to go up!_

Red was in his cave, sitting between Air and Venusaur as he descaled a Magikarp he had recently caught for dinner. His hands froze in the process as his blood suddenly ran cold. Air looked up.

 _There he is!_

 _Up._

 _Up._

 _Right._

 _Down._

 _Up._

 _Up._

 _Up._

Red stood, gaining the attention of the others. They all watched together as a young boy with a gold and black hat approached them. His movements were erratic, but he was making enough progress to demonstrate that his goal was clear. He had come for Red. And he'd brought _them_.

Abby and Blastoise both grumbled their disapproval at the intruder, and Pikachu clambered up Red's side onto his shoulder, where he watched the newcomer with curiosity.

 _Get ready!_

 _Aaawww, boy!_

 _Up._

 _Up._

 _So many feels!_

 _We got this!_

 _A._

 _A._

 _A._

Red locked gazes with the boy, observing the deadened, defeated look he found there. Beside him, Abby shifted, and the light of her tail caused a small flash to bounce off the boy's face. His expression was stoic, but he was crying.

The boy raised his hand, pokeball at the ready.

"… …"

* * *

And then the mountain caved in and everyone died! The end.

Seriously though, I hope everyone enjoyed this! Please note that I _do_ know that Red's team had an Espeon, not a Lapras, in the original S/G/C games. I elected to use his SS/HG team though because…well, he already had the Lapras. Might as well keep her.

ALL HAIL LORD HELIX!


End file.
